


Top Score

by CourierNinetyTwo



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bondage, Breathplay, F/F, Future AU, Nonbinary Character, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 12:12:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4746059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourierNinetyTwo/pseuds/CourierNinetyTwo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby and Blake make a bet while playing video games and all goes very, very well. Written as a gift for funblade's Future AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Top Score

**Author's Note:**

> Blake is written as nonbinary with they/them pronouns. Mind the warnings.

A crimson sports car raced down the left lane, hugging concrete and steel around a hairpin turn until rubber screeched and threatened to peel off the tires. The needle of the speedometer was past the red and nearly out of sight, trembling with the smooth rumble of the engine. Where lines of white and yellow once split the road, they now met in an infinite stretch, pouring towards the horizon over clean asphalt. With a smile, the driver caressed the nitro switch with her thumb, ready to fly the second the path was straight.

Then the roar of a second engine kicked in, deafening with its power, and a black grand tourer with perfect heliotrope stripes cut her off, launching a spike strip from its trunk. As soon as it hit the road, every tire popped and she careened into the guardrail, flipping the car in a seven-twenty spin before  _road fatality_  flashed across the screen, dropping the golden number one on the top left to the grim title of Last Place. With thirty seconds left on the clock, there was no time to make up the difference, not with all that collected nitro suddenly at zero.

“Blake!” Ruby yelped the Faunus’ name in shock. “Not fair!”

That earned a laugh as Blake leaned back against the couch, nestled in the leather cushions before propping their feet up on the living room table. “I was behind you for miles and you didn’t even notice.”

“I was in the zone and you spiked me!” Her score rolled across the screen, coming in a hundred points short of the level record she set last week. “Is this what you do when I’m out on hunts? Practice sabotage on Vale’s Most Wanted?”

White teeth flashed in a teasing smile. “I don’t have to be the fastest if every other car blows up first.”

“You were nice to me when we first started playing this.” Ruby muttered.

She regretted saying it, seeing Blake’s smile drop a few centimeters. “That was different.”

Before losing her arm and her eye, Ruby couldn’t remember ever seeing Blake with a video game controller, much less playing one of the dozen games that came free with everyone’s scroll. The Faunus’ attention was always elsewhere, practical matters given the first priority unless a few hours could be stolen away to read. In the hospital, though, after her new arm had been fit in place and Weiss’ first design of the patch was fit to wear, Blake had shown up with the latest Playmaster console, a pair of controllers, and a stack of fighting and racing games.

She had never asked how Blake paid for it. They were still in school at the time, and while Weiss covered plenty of expenses with the liberal use of her platinum card, even Yang didn’t seem to know where her partner found everything.

It had been one of the only bright spots in a long and agonizing recovery. The sterile environment of the hospital was boring at best and enraging in the worst moments, when she wanted nothing more than to tear the bed she was resigned to every night into scrap metal. There she didn’t feel anything like a huntress, much less a leader, and Ruby found herself loathing the plastic patient ID band around the wrist she had left, confining her as well as well as any cuffs. Playing games wasn’t just a distraction; it made her feel like she was  _doing_ something.

Maybe winning battles on a screen wasn’t killing any Grimm beyond the wall, but it taught old reflexes to new fingers, helped her adjust to a permanent shift in perception. When turning up the difficulty wasn’t enough any more, she challenged Blake to match after match. In tandem with a grueling regimen of physical therapy, Ruby learned how to carry Crescent Rose again, keeping the scythe attuned to the Aura sensors in her arm and patch so she could perceive beyond sight. It became second nature again.

Something about that time continued to make Blake flinch, though, and Ruby knew she had poked a sore spot. There was only one solution to that.

“Next round’s mine.” Ruby huffed, flicking the thumbstick to swap menus. The customization window appeared, but she was still shy ten grand for a new engine. “I got your number now, Belladonna.”

“Want to bet on it?” A satisfied purr rose from Blake’s chest after a long stretch, and they tucked sleeves back up to their elbows before picking up the controller again. Nothing about the gesture was fair, but especially the way tight muscle flexed up each forearm and made the black ribbons there tighten, thick as tiger stripes.

It was a prelude to everything under that crisp white shirt and had to be illegal in two kingdoms. Minimum.

Tapping her tongue against her teeth, Ruby thought it over, watching pixelated chrome light up while her car slowly spun in place. “You make way more money than I do, Blake. You really want to take my hard-earned village scratch?”

“You’d make that much too if you let Weiss set your contract prices. I can’t actually turn down a raise – it’s Schnee policy.” Once Ruby’s mods were locked in, Blake took control of the screen, rolling through the menus before swapping the GT’s window tint to a pitch-black five percent. “It doesn’t have to be for Lien.”

“You have more clothes than me and share this big house with Weiss. Crescent Rose is off the table and you’d never bet Gambol Shroud.” Ruby tried to think of something to tick off a third finger and shrugged. “Pretty sure you’ve seen all the ‘long distance self-help’ videos Weiss sent me too.”

Most of the recordings involved lingerie so thin she could snap the silk with her teeth, but Blake had definitely helped film a couple of them, Ruby was sure. Some had knots more complicated than Yang knew or that Weiss could pull off solo.

Both of them tagged in, and the countdown timer filled up the screen with huge red numbers. “How about tonight?”

“Tonight?” Ruby frowned, holding back the urge to rev her engine.

_Three._

“You and me.” Blake clarified.

_Two._

She saw one of the Faunus’ calloused fingers slip to the left bumper of her controller, ready to slam the first car out of the gate. “Whoever wins gets to call the shots for the rest of the night.”

_One._

This was going to be so easy. “Deal.”

_Race!_

Ruby hesitated for half a second before hitting the gas, watching as Blake sideswiped one of the AI competitors and sent the car right into the cliff face. Steel shrapnel and fire harmlessly lit up the screen and she saw her chance, blazing through the smoke past the pair of muscle cars hounding the lead. This track was short but full of obstacles; some were the perfect recipe for a crash, others just an excuse for cheap points if someone stuck the landing, but Ruby kept her eye on the finish line, watching the distance tick down on the bottom of the screen.

On Blake’s half, another car exploded, the wreck skidding into a ditch and sending a line of orange construction cones flying. She heard the Faunus chuckle in low satisfaction, but it was the way both of Blake’s ears twitched in tandem that Ruby thought was the cutest, tips angled down and hiding some of the purple fur inside – concentrated on the game from head to toe. Blake could sometimes be the type who thought mashing the buttons harder meant everything worked better, and more than one controller had ended up cracked between their hands because of it.

To be fair, Ruby had done that herself on a few occasions, but a metal hand was a way better excuse than trying to brute-force a ten button combo.

“You’re still in third place,” Ruby said casually, steel fingers tapping the brakes to drift her car around a tight turn.

“Well, we started with eight cars and now we’re down to three.” Blake countered, holding down the trigger to accelerate before they slammed into the last AI-generated opponent, spiked tires shredding the other car to bits. “Two.”

“This is a weird date, Blake. Just us on the road to the Atlas 500.” On the mini-map, Ruby saw the distance between them closing, but there was only a mile left of the track. “You could have bought me dinner first.”

Their answer came paired with a wicked smirk. “Sure, you can eat me out.”

A blush spread across Ruby’s face in an instant, and she mumbled back, “Distracting me is so cheating.”

“It would be cheating if I put a hand up your skirt.” Blake replied lightly, and both of them pulled onto the last stretch of road. It was a straight shot forward and Ruby was ready to coast on nitro straight to the finish line.

Two could play at that game.

“Why don’t you?” With great care, Ruby moved her finger closer to the right bumper, hoping Blake wouldn’t notice. “I mean, if you think you’re going to win anyway.”

Rather than taking the bait, there was a hard rev of Blake’s engine, and she promptly tapped the bumper right before the tourer could pass her. A set of caltrops flew out of the trunk, scattering across the road right as Blake accelerated, and it took less than a second for the GT’s tires to burst, sending it over the edge of the cliff and off the map.  _Road fatality_  flashed across the top half of the screen again and there was a defeated huff from Ruby’s right, controller dropped with a clatter into the Faunus’ lap.

Glass clinked when Blake reached for the bottle on the side table, draining it dry before letting out a groan. “When did you swap that in? I was sure you didn’t have any sabotage mods.”

“Mm, a couple races ago when you went to get another wine cooler.” Ruby smirked as her car zipped across the finish line, prize money ticking up next to the trophy. “Which is still funny, by the way.”

“What’s funny?” Blake murmured, slouching back against the couch.

“Yang owns a bar but you never get anything stronger than a Midnight Kiss, which is pretty much fruit juice. Even Weiss goes for the vodka when she does the SDC yearly review.” Or a super dirty martini, which sounded gross, but whatever. “Just doesn’t fit the tough bodyguard image.”

Golden eyes rolled, more in amusement than any mocking intent. “I just like the taste. I don’t want to actually get drunk.”

Ruby used the whiskey Yang had stashed in her hunting bag more for cleaning off scratches than getting blitzed, but Blake was too fun to tease. “Well, that’s good. I couldn’t do anything to you if you were drunk.”

Maybe she couldn’t actually see Blake’s pulse quicken in their throat, but Ruby felt the palpable change in the room anyway, new sparks of hunger begging for tinder, a bit more heat and pressure. That she could do.

In a blitz of rose petals, Ruby scooped up the controllers and moved them to the table, turning on her heel at the last second to face Blake. She had them pinned down against the arm of the chair before those bright eyes could even blink, letting her weight settle over Blake’s hips. A rectangular belt buckle pressed through the thin fabric of her skirt with the position, but Ruby didn’t mind in the least.

“So,” her fingers hooked under Blake’s chin to tilt it up, smiling wide at the shiver when metal met skin, “what were you going to do?”

Blake stared for a moment before snapping out of the distraction. “What?”

“If you had won instead,” Ruby watched Blake’s head turn to nuzzle down against her sculpted palm. She couldn’t feel the kiss pressed there, not really, but heat spread across the steel anyway, and the small, reactive flare of Aura was enough. “What were you going to do with me?”

“I hadn’t gotten that far yet,” Blake admitted, eyes flickering upward again. “I was focused on the game.”

“Well, you  _should_  think about it.” After pressing a kiss to Blake’s nose, Ruby leaned back, trying to look over each side of the couch. “And tell me where you put your tie. Not necessarily in that order.”

Dark brows scrunched together in thought. “Should be over the chair in the kitchen with my coat.”

“I’m gonna get it, so stay still, okay?”

Ruby gave Blake’s thigh a light pinch before jumping off the couch, a surprised yelp ringing in her ears as she snagged the tie off the chair and zipped back. A rose petal fell onto Blake’s hair and then disintegrated, but they hadn’t moved an inch, except for their chest rising in slightly faster breaths. It was nice seeing the Faunus’ braid loose for once, hair black as ink falling over both shoulders.

Using the flat end of the tie, Ruby whapped Blake’s cheek, a playful rasp of silk on skin. Even if it didn’t hurt, the impact was enough to bring a visible flush up to the open collar of their shirt. “Did you think about it?”

“Mm,” the ears on top of Blake’s head twitched, drawing Ruby’s eye to the pretty violet color lining them again, “I probably would have tied you up, thrown you over my shoulder, and taken you to bed.”

“Is that what you do to Yang and Weiss when they come home too, or is it just for me?” The sing-song tease in her voice earned a pout, and she pressed a kiss to Blake’s full lips. “Come on, I want to know.”

“Once in a while.” Blake murmured. “But this time I kind of wanted you to win.”

“Oh?” Ruby exaggerated the sound, making her eyebrows go up. “I guess it’s been a while since I reminded you who your leader is, huh?”

The question earned a choked sound, one that stuck in Blake’s throat as the Faunus glanced to the side, focusing on the couch cushions instead of Ruby’s face. She had discovered that turn-on by total accident a few years ago, confirmed by Yang after a couple drinks –  _Blake totally wants you to show them who’s boss, little sister_  – and it was pretty fun to strip Blake out of all that corporate wear and toss a few orders around. Ruby wasn’t into the pain games Weiss kept an entire toolbox devoted to, but if being in charge gave Blake a chance to blow off some steam, she was more than happy to help.

“I’m going to put this on you, okay?” Drawing the tie taut between her hands, Ruby smiled. “In the blindfold way, though, not the other way.”

Blake nodded, keeping still as she looped the length of silk around their head, adjusting the tie until the widest part was across both eyes. It didn’t come together in the most even knot, but Ruby slid it as close as she could, tight enough to stay in place without catching any stray black strands. Once it was set, Ruby waved her hand in front of Blake’s face, but there was no response beyond a faint twitch of velvet-lined ears, probably due to the air being moved around more than anything else.

“Now we got to get rid of that shirt.” She braced her heavier hand on Blake’s shoulder as the other started to undo the top button, not wanting to wrench any of them off by accident. “Unless you do want to go up to bed?”

“No.” Blake breathed out, fingers gripping at their knees like they weren’t sure what to do without something to hold onto. “This is good.”

The cuffs had to be worked open too, sleeves unrolled and tugged past Blake’s wrists, but Ruby took her time, kissing every inch of skin revealed, running her tongue along the edges of old scars. She knew the source of each one, the pain felt before becoming whole again. By the time the shirt was all the way off, Blake was letting out a soft sound with every caress. Their hands were balled into tight fists now, but never wandered, not once.

Ruby drew a finger across Blake’s mouth, then cradled their jaw in steel. “You want to touch me, don’t you?”

“Yes,” the answer was quick as a reflex, barely controlled, “Ruby, please.”

“You’ve got to leave my clothes on.” All of her heavy gear – the ammo clips, the survival knife – was already upstairs next to Crescent Rose anyway ready to be refilled and cleaned. “But you can touch wherever you want. Deal?”

Blake responded with a messy kiss, seizing her hips and pulling them forward. In the blink of an eye, both hands were beneath her skirt, palms tracing the smooth fabric of each stocking, and Ruby moaned against Blake’s lips. Her last hunt hadn’t been long enough to build up that bone-deep, mindless ache to be touched, but whenever Blake’s hands were on her, it was like they could never get enough. Every second was precious, worthy of worship.

“Better warm me up right, Blake,” Ruby whispered, breath a hot exhale against one feline ear. “Or your tongue’s going to end up doing all the work.”

Calloused fingers framed her thighs, nails pricking through the sheer barrier before Blake gave her behind a firm squeeze. A curious sound left the Faunus’ throat right after, and Ruby smiled to herself, knowing it couldn’t be seen. Another hard grab confirmed it, Blake’s thumbs resting atop the band of the stockings.

“You’re not wearing any underwear?” Blake’s voice fell into a low rumble – almost a purr – on the last few syllables.

Her smile grew into a broad grin. “Took you long enough to notice. Didn’t pick up on my scent, huh?”

“I thought it was just wishful thinking on my part.” Blake said, half under their breath.

“Mm, nope.” Leaning close, Ruby pressed a firm kiss to Blake’s mouth. “You’ve got one more minute.”

Even with the blindfold, she saw the Faunus’ eyebrows shoot up over the edge of the tie. “Until what?”

“You’ll see.”

Ruby always thought it was nice to be taken at her word. Blake’s tongue drew a hot line from the corner of her jaw down to the notch in her throat, finding a way simply by feel. The sloppy, breathless kisses along her collar were endearing, in sharp contrast to the hands keeping a rough handle on her thighs, squeezing and groping until she parted them wider, demanding more. She kept steel fingers braced against Blake’s nape as a guide, knowing each suckling bite above the line of her top was leaving behind swathes of red, blossoming into true crimson where the marks were deepest. Ticking off the last few seconds in her head, Ruby tugged Blake’s head back, hard enough to earn a low whine.

“Time’s up.” Her grip relaxed, hands moving to the Faunus’ shoulders instead. “Now you’re going to lay down on the couch. No peeking.”

“I have night vision, I can’t see through blindfolds.” Blake muttered, but obeyed when she raised her hips, giving them enough room to stretch out lengthwise across the cushions.

Energy thrummed under Ruby’s skin, not quite restless but eager, tension drawing tight like the split second before fully squeezing a trigger. As much as she wanted to stay dressed, her boots were heavy, so she shucked them with quick pulls on the laces and ignored the hard thunk when both hit the floor. Blake was angled against the armrest of the couch like it was a pillow, head helpfully tilted up, and Ruby straddled their face, knees digging into the leather on either side and using her heavier hand to balance against the plush back. When the Faunus arched to find slick heat, a thin barrier still barred their way, just as planned.

“Ruby, your stockings–” Blake said, almost a question instead of a complaint.

“You’ve got to earn it if you want it, Blake.” Her hips purposefully dipped down, brushing against their mouth before rising again. “Any means necessary.”

It took ten seconds for them to come up with a solution and another five to push past her skirt, fingers finding the center seam before Blake gripped tight and tearing the stockings open, nails shredding them from thigh to knee. Ruby laughed, seeing hesitation flood the Faunus’ face at the loud noise, and slid her hand into their hair as both reward and comfort.

“You got the right idea.” She was wet, almost desperately so, and closed that last inch between her body and Blake’s waiting mouth. “Undo your belt.”

Their answering sound of surprise vibrated right against her and Ruby bit back a gasp, eyes fluttering shut as she swallowed the sound, but a second later, the buckle of Blake’s belt clicked open.

“Button and zipper too if you need it, but I want you touching yourself while you do me, okay?” It was really hard to think when the Faunus’ every breath was teasing her folds, but she could hold on another minute longer – probably. Ruby mulled over her next words before growling out the next thing that came to mind. “You can’t come until I say, though.”

Blake shivered and groaned in agreement, the insistent jerk of her hips met by their tongue spreading her open. The first stroke drew slick heat from entrance to clit and Ruby moaned between her teeth, fingers tightening in their hair. She could feel the movement of the Faunus’ hand in their trousers by proxy, the way Blake’s shoulder pressed against her thigh, muscles tensing in a shorter, rougher rhythm compared to their mouth. When Blake’s tongue delved inside her, just deep enough for her to clench around it, lightning shot up Ruby’s spine, back arching by pure instinct as she gasped a demand for more.

It was a little strange, looking down and seeing Blake blindfolded. She was used to those bright eyes focused right on her, narrowing to ink-dark and hungry lines when the Faunus was lost in her, so attuned that their controlled reflex of an expression fell away. The signs were still there in places, like the quick draw of breath against her skin, Blake’s ears making minute flicks whenever her breath hitched or she whimpered particularly high, and Ruby fought against bottling the noise. A few long licks just shy of her clit were a total tease, prompting Ruby to tilt her hips down right against Blake’s parted lips.

They surrounded her, offering a gentle suck that put stars across her vision, the constant pulse and press of Blake’s tongue making Ruby’s toes curl in what was left of her stockings. Their hand was still working strong too, enough that she felt when the Faunus’ body jerked, the needy shiver afterwards not quite hidden. She started rocking her body a bit faster, spread wet across Blake’s mouth and chin, but they never hesitated, stealing breaths between circling her clit and painting lines between her folds, hot and almost dripping with need. Tension was building up in her thighs like steel strings, winding tighter and tighter until her knees were nearly piercing the arm of the couch from holding back.

“Keep going,” Ruby gasped, and came.

She wasn’t loud, never had been – all those first times had been on hunts, in forests and ruined buildings that creaked with the faintest sound – but a low noise rose in her throat anyway, close to a growl. The wolf in her, Yang had joked, but Ruby didn’t care to find the meaning of it when she was trembling with pleasure, that sweet ache drawn out by Blake’s mouth until it was the only thing she could feel. Almost too much, so strong Ruby bit her lip before the crest of bliss broke, leaving her head clear and empty. Soft panting grounded her, and she smiled to herself before moving back down the couch, face-to-face with Blake once more.

Arousal left their mouth shining, glistening even more when Blake’s tongue darted out to taste the remnants. Ruby leaned down for a kiss, muffling a little sound of surprise and wiping the sweat gathered above the blindfold away from Blake’s brow. A finger beneath the tie proven it hadn’t gotten any tighter, so she let it be, waiting for Blake to catch their breath before speaking.

“You did so good, Blake.” The hand between their legs had gone still, Ruby noted, and smiled wider. “Ready for your turn?”

“Yeah.” A pleased little rumble, edging on a purr, settled in Blake’s chest. “Definitely.”

“Do you want me to take the tie off?” Ruby asked.

Blake shook their head. “I’m still good. Promise.”

Ruby slung her leg over the Faunus’ hips, feet finding a bit of purchase on the floor before her knees shook something fierce. Both hands – one more carefully than the other – guided them onto all fours on the couch, face pressed against the armrest before she took her position behind Blake, pulling both arms to the small of their back. Blake grunted, hips tilting up to compensate for the shift in weight, and Ruby started to unwind the black ribbon from around each wrist, keeping the slack looped around two artificial fingers while her other hand did the rest of the work.

“I’m gonna tie your arms together, okay?” She gently scratched her nails up the inside of one arm. “Got to keep you still.”

Blake’s wrists turned out a bit, finding a more comfortable position. “Yeah.”

In her experience, it was easier to stick to a few simple knots at the right chokepoints instead of making a complicated kind of lattice, even if the latter looked way prettier. No one was around to see this but the two of them, so Ruby methodically re-looped and tied the ribbon until Blake was bound from wrist to elbow, arms pulled taut together and held there. With their face wedged against the arm of the couch and tied as such, Blake couldn’t do much of anything but shift their knees as she made quick work of the trousers, fabric bunched up tight around calves with the smooth lines of muscle Ruby knew so well. The same strength flexed up the back of Blake’s legs, disappearing under the lines of thin black briefs.

Draping her weight over their back, Ruby whispered into into a feline ear, “Who’s your leader?”

“You are,” Blake gasped in turn, “only you, Ruby.”

She was glad they couldn’t see her blush. Hearing that would fluff up anyone’s ego.

“Now these have to go too.” One finger hooked in the band of their briefs, dragging them down to Blake’s knees so they were completely exposed. “Do you, uh, want me to do the other thing?”

None of the words for it sounded very good in Ruby’s opinion. _Strangulation_  was something out of an assassin’s playbook and _breathplay_ seemed kind of well, playful, for what usually resulted in a very distinct set of bruises around Blake’s neck. Aura healing made sure the marks were gone in an hour or so, but Ruby was still as careful as she could be. There was always a danger that could never be permanently ruled out, after all, even though she and Blake had spent a lot of time practicing in a hundred more gentle ways before getting this far. It was an expression of infinite trust, faith Ruby was left scrambling to repay.

“If you’re fine with it.” Blake’s shoulders shook as they let out a deep breath. “Just hold my throat. You don’t have to squeeze too hard.”

That was easy enough. She was already braced against Blake’s back, so Ruby brought her arm to the right angle, hooking the curve of her thumb and pointer finger under the Faunus’ jaw before easing the rest of her fingers into place, a hundred carefully shaped metal pieces and Dust measured to the last grain working in unison to make the gesture firm but not crushing. Blake’s answering moan vibrated against her hand, the sound cut short when she flexed each finger just a centimeter tighter and released. Ruby spread her own knees a bit wider, enough to keep her balance when her other arm delved between their thighs.

Black curls rasped against her fingertips, parting with barely any pressure, and Blake was so wet Ruby let out a moan of sympathy before she could stop herself. The height difference between the two of them meant she could only reach so far with a hold around their neck, but it was far enough to explore, focusing on slow strokes until she heard a raw gasp, followed by a quick and restrained thrash underneath her. Ruby waited until Blake relaxed, keeping her hands perfectly still, even though the veins of Dust lining her palm were drawn to the staccato beat of the Faunus’ pulse, blood and Aura drawn so close to the surface.

“Have a little patience for me, huh?” Her lips found the triangular tip of Blake’s ear and hummed after a brief suck. “You got to listen to me a lot, you know.”

A weak nod – the only sort they could manage from the position – followed and Ruby returned to her slow path, drawing a mindless design against slick heat, the swell around Blake’s clit. It was rare that she really had the chance to focus on every individual touch, how the circling of her fingertips in one place earned a chain of whimpers but another caused a kneejerk inhale, wordless pleas for more and more. Blake could be quiet too, each movement locked tight, but something about being tied up seemed to push past that mental barrier, like one restraint was traded for another. They were always safe in her arms, safe to surrender to that need, no matter how deep it ran.

It was kind of mean to keep Blake on the edge too long, though, and Ruby wanted them to be louder. The first direct pressure against their clit made the Faunus arch under her, hips welcoming the movement with eager friction, and her teeth found purchase in Blake’s shoulder, biting a bit harder as her fingers found a rhythm. She rocked forward with them, elbow braced hard against the armrest so that arm wouldn’t shift, hand a hard and relentless hold on Blake’s neck, attuned to every shift in breath. Their whimpers were building in pitch, coming closer together, and one particular moan raised the hairs on the back of Ruby’s neck, the full sound falling over her skin like a caress.

She sped up by degrees, letting precise strokes become a bit more sloppy so Blake couldn’t be entirely sure where the next touch would go. Muscle flexed in the column of their back, clenched fists pressing against her stomach, and Ruby pushed back, grinding her hips to give even more encouragement. Sweat beaded at the peak of her brow, the fabric of her shirt sticking tight to skin, but she put the feeling in the back of her mind, instead putting a knee between Blake’s to force them wider, angle their body up against her hand. They were shaking now, starting to beg without words, hovering right on that edge so intense it could almost be pain.

“Are you gonna come for me?” Heat suffused her voice, pure and white-hot. “Let me hear it, Blake.”

If not for the lack of leverage, Ruby was pretty sure Blake could have bucked her off completely, losing track of their strength in the heat of the moment, but she kept them pinned through every shaking moan and twist of their hips, falling into the sound like it was music. With her eye closed, she could focus on the warmth against her palm, an echo of touch but still a feeling, still Blake giving into her without even a whisper of doubt. She left a few more marks across their shoulders for good measure before relaxing each finger one by one, gently tilting up Blake’s head at the end of it to see if any of it would bruise.

A dark flush in the perfect shape of her hand was imprinted across the width of their throat, each finger distinct from the other, but the color started to fade from the moment she had let go, and Blake’s almost-giddy smile made Ruby do the same. Raw pleasure slowly drained from their face, replaced by the comfort of afterglow, and she started to undo the ribbons as soon as Blake’s breathing lost the hard hitch from exertion. When all the knots were loose, Ruby untangled both completely and set the ribbons next to the controllers, knowing Blake would want to work the kinks out before wearing them again. The tie came next, removed with just as much care and unwound.

“You want to go up to bed?” Ruby asked, keeping one knee on the couch.

“No,” Blake said, turning over onto their side, “come cuddle with me.”

She had just enough space to fit in the notch between Blake’s back and that of the cushions, slinging her arm over their hips. Ruby sniffled when a few stray black strands of hair brushed up against her nose, but she settled after a moment, breathing deep of the scent that was Blake’s alone. Weiss’ was always tinged with Atlassian perfume and Yang had the faintest whiff of sulfur, a fire just quenched, but Blake was something else Ruby couldn’t name, different but so familiar she would know it anywhere.

It was hard to place when exactly she fell asleep, but that scent and the rhythm of a wild heart just like her own carried Ruby to quiet, bloodless dreams.


End file.
